Display device

ABSTRACT

A display device comprising a casing having a hinged door on each side. Each door has a frame member adapted to close against the face of the casing. An outer frame member on the casing overlaps the frame member on the door. The door frame member has two water-diverting channels for directing water away from the seal.

United States Patent [1 1 Howe [111 3,744,168 [451 July 10, 1973 DISPLAY DEVICE [76] Inventor: Lawrence C. Howe, 412 Lone Pine Court, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

[22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 209,688

[52] US. Cl 0. 40/132 R [51] Int. Cl. G09f 13/04 [58] Field of Search 40/132 R; 49/401; 160/44 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,833,069 5/1958 Cairns.; 40/132 R 1,601,055 9/1926 Adams 49/401 X 8/1917 Oliver 160/44 X l/l953 Howenstine 40/132 R X Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-John F. Pitrelli Attorneyr-william H. Griffith [5 7 ABSTRACT A display device comprising a casing. having a hinged door on each side. Each door has a frame member adapted to close against the face of the casing. An outer frame member on the casing overlaps the frame member on the door. The door frame member has two water-diverting channels for directing water away from the seal.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures m mgnmmma 3.744.168

INVENTOR. LAWRENCE C. HOWE ATTORNEYS DISPLAY DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The display device of this invention is designed particularly for outdoor use. It is a primary object of the invention to provide a display device adapted to illustrate posters or the like and having means for effectivey protecting the posters from the weather.

It is another object of this invention to provide a display device having a door closing the casing of the device, and improved means for preventing moisture from entering the joint between the door and the casmg.

Another object is to provide at least one and preferably two water-diverting channels for directing water away from the joint between the door and the casing of the display device.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a display device embodying the features of my invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the display device forming the subject matter of this invention comprises a casing preferably formed of sheet metal and having a top member 12, a bottom member 14 and end members 16 and 18 connected together end to end in the shape of a rectangle. The casing members 12-18 have near one side the inwardly extending coplanar walls 20, 22, 24 and 26 which are connected together end to end in the form of a rectangle and define a front face 28 and a casing opening 30. The casing members 12-18 also have near the opposite-side of the casing the inwardly extending coplanar walls 32, 34, 36 and 38 which are connected together end to end and define another front face 40 surrounding another casing opening 42. The casing openings 30 and 42 of the casing are normally closed by doors 44 and 46 which are identical in construction so that a description of one will be sufficient for both.

With the above in view, reference is made more in detail to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, wherein the door 46 is shown as comprising a panel 48 and a frame 50 around the marginal portions of the panel. The panel 48 may be formed of any suitable material but in the interests of simplicity of manufacture, it is shown as formed of a moldable plastic material. The frame 50 is preferably formed of sheet metal sections capable of being rolled or otherwise fashioned with relatively simple equipment. The frame 50 consists of the coplanar top, bottom and end walls 52, 54, 56 and 58 which are disposed in a rectangle and define a rear face 60 which is parallel and opposed to the front face 40 of the easing in the closed position of the door. The door 46 is of a size sufficient to overlie and close the opening 42 of the casing.

The door 46 has the frame members 62, 64, 66 and 68 which project rearwardly from the rear face of the frame 50 along the walls 52, 54, 56 and 58 thereof. These frame members define a rectangle and extend at right angles to frame 50. The frame members 62, 64, 66 and 68 have the laterally outwardly projecting flanges 72 which extend longitudinally of the frame members and connect end to end at the corners of the rectangle defined by the frame members. The flanges 72 are at the free or terminal edges of the frame members. In the closed position of the door, the flanges 72 close against the front face 40 of the casing along the four walls 32, 34, 36 and 38 thereof to provide a continuous closed joint around the casing. Along these four walls there may if desired be provided a continuous sealing strip of rubber or like material to be engaged by the flanges 72 to provide a more perfect seal at the joint when the door is closed. However, a sealing strip has not been found to be necessary and ordinarily is omitted.

The frame members 62, 64, 66 and 68 also have the laterally outwardly projecting flanges 74 which extend longitudinally of the frame members and connect end to end at the corners of the rectangle defined by the frame members. The flanges 74 are located between flanges 72 and the rear face 60 of the door. These flanges 72 and 74 cooperate with the frame members and with the rear face of the door to define the waterdiverting channels 76 and 78.

The front face 40 of the casing has the frame members 80, 82, 84 and 86 projecting forwardly therefrom at right angles thereto. These frame members form a rectangle laterally outwardly of the frame members 62, 64, 66 and 68 of the door to surround the latter frame members when the door is closed, terminating close to if not actually touching the rear face 60 of the door.

The door 46 is hinged to the casing by hinges 88 along the bottom connected to the lower edge of the casing and the lower edge of the door. The door 46 is normally held in closed position by a pair of quick releasing latches 90. When released by the latches, the door 46 is capable of swinging away to an open position.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4, the central portion of the panel 48 is offset in an outward direction to provide a housing 92 having a transparent outer wall 94. The inner surface of the transparent wall 94 forms a mounting surface for a display poster 96 which may be readily inserted within thehousing in the open position of the door and held in place by suitable clips 97 carried by the door.

Housed within the casing midway between the doors 44 and 46 are a plurality of electrically operated illuminating tubes 98. The purpose of the tubes is to illuminate the interior of the casing and permit the display posters 96 to be readily viewed through the transparent walls of the housing.

In use, and when the doors are closed, the posters 96 are supported against the outer walls 94 of door housings 92 outwardly of the joints between door flanges 72 and the front faces 28 and 40 of the casing as a safeguard against damage from moisture.

The overlapping frame members 80, 82, 84 and 86 on the casing protect the joint at flanges 72 from the direct force of rain although they do not form a positive seal. Any water that may enter past the outer frame members 80, 82, 84 and 86 is diverted away from the joint at flanges 72 first by the water-diverting channel 76 and thereafter as a further measure of protection by the second water-diverting channel 78. While the water-diverting channels extend around the four sides of the casing opening, the channels along the lower or bottom frame member 64 can be omitted without any appreciable loss in the ability of the channel construction to prevent water from contacting the sealed joint. It is important, however, that the water-diverting channels extend along the top frame member 62, and preferably also along the end frame members 66 and 68 so as to direct the water to the bottom of the casing where it may be discharged through suitable openings 99 in the casing bottom frame member 82.

As noted above, the joint at flanges 72 of the doors which close against the casing faces 28 and 40 does not have to provide a perfect seal. in fact, there will ordinarily be no entrance of moisture into the casing even if the flanges 72 do not quite touch the casing facing here and there. It has been found that substantially all moisture getting past casing frame members 80, 82, 84 and 86 is diverted away from the joint by channels 76 and 78.

What i claim as my invention is:

l. A display device comprising a casing having an opening through the front face thereof, said casing having a continuous annular frame member extending forwardly from the front face thereof around said opening, a door means hingedly connecting said door at the lower edge thereof to portions of said frame member beneath said opening for swinging movement of said door between openand closed positions with respect to said opening, said door having a marginal rear face op posed to said front face of said casing in the closed position of said door, said door having a continuous annular frame member extending rearwardly from said rear face and provided with a terminal edge adapted to close against the front face of said casing inwardly of said casing frame member to provide a substantially closed joint around said opening in the closed position of said door, the forward terminal edge of said casing frame member being disposed closely adjacent the rear face of said door in the closed position of said door, said door frame member having a first outwardly extending flange at its terminal edge along the upper and side portions thereof and also having a second outwardly extending flange spaced between said first flange and the rear face of said door extending along the upper and side portions thereof, said first and second flanges defining a first water diverting channel and said second flange and rear face defining a second water diverting channel for directing water that may enter past the casing frame member away from the substantially closed joint between the terminal edge of said door frame member and the front face of said casing.

2. The display device defined in claim 1, having a water drain in a portion of said casing frame member beneath said opening in said casing. 

1. A display device comprising a casing having an opening through the front face thereof, said casing having a continuous annular frame member extending forwardly from the front face thereof around said opening, a door means hingedly connecting said door at the lower edge thereof to portions of said frame member beneath said opening for swinging movement of said door between open and closed positions with respect to said opening, said door having a marginal rear face opposed to said front face of said casing in the closed position of said door, said door having a continuous annular frame member extending rearwardly from said rear face and provided with a terminal edge adapted to close against the front face of said casing inwardly of said casing frame member to provide a substantially closed joint around said opening in the closed position of said door, the forward terminal edge of said casing frame member being disposed closely adjacent the rear face of said door in the closed position of said door, said door frame member having a first outwardly extending flange at its terminal edge along the upper and side portions thereof and also having a second outwardly extending flange spaced between said first flange and the rear face of said door extending along the upper and side portions thereof, said first and second flanges defining a first water diverting channel and said second flange and rear face defining a second water diverting channel for directing water that may enter past the casing frame member away from the substantially closed joint between the terminal edge of said door frame member and the front face of said casing.
 2. The display device defined in claim 1, having a water drain in a portion of said casing frame member beneath said opening in said casing. 